When you’re sizzling in the Land of a Thousand Suns, you can’t help but crave for something cold… some shaved ice perhaps? Or, gelato would really hit the spot too. It sure is a tough decision when both seem equally yummy… Well guess what, now you can have both! That’s a food fantasy come true, as Eyescream and Friends has hit Singapore’s shores.
The mastermind of this refreshingly ingenious concoction, Mr Joad Lopez, took inspiration from shaved ice he ate at a Taiwanese night market.
Back in Barcelona where gelato was aplenty, he decided to matchmake the two. And that, was how Eyescream and Friends was born.
Eyescream And Friends – Compass One
As its name suggests, Eyescream and Friends represents the 7 basic flavours – a quirky medley of characters with distinct personalities and names to boot.
We had a go at some crowd favourites – General Mimi (Cheesecake), Brown Ed (Chocolate), Willy Wild (Wildberry Yoghurt), and a new flavour – Oreo Yoghurt. He doesn’t have a name yet, as he’s only just been launched in Singapore. P.S. He’s exclusive to this little red dot!
Toppings
Woah, too many toppings, too little time! What a torture to have to choose, can’t we have all of them?
Here are some of the toppings – caramelized cookies, gummy bears, banana nut crunch, forest berries sauce, white chocolate sauce, and marshmallows.
Eyescream and Friends has just released its kiwi, watermelon and rockmelon toppings as well as a lovely salted caramel sauce.
As of now, there are 8 different flavours and a whopping 15 different toppings to please your palate as you mix-and-match.
This guarantees that you’ll experience the dessert in novel ways each time, as you play with endless new flavour combinations.
Oreo Yoghurt Flavour Complete Pack ($6.90)
The Complete Pack ($6.90) which we got, comes with a cup of shaved gelato and 2 toppings. The packaging is really cool, as it’s designed to hold a cup of gelato and 2 fun-size cups of toppings, so that you can stroll around the mall while you eat!
The tray even has a spot at the side to clip a piece of tissue or two. This way, your hands are free to tackle your yummy target.
The Oreo flavour was strong but not overpowering, and accurately encapsulated the taste of the crisp tidbit. No hint of stale biscuit there, we are talking Oreos fresh out of the packet.
We were surprised by how the shaved gelato managed to be creamy, yet not cloying. The icy texture of the gelato, which was smooth and slushy-like, prevented the Oreo flavour from coming across as too dense.
Add to that the tartness of the yoghurt flavour, which shook up the whole treat. Who would have thought that Oreo and yoghurt go this well together?
Wild Berry Complete Pack ($6.90)
If you could capture the joys of childhood in one flavour, this would be it. The wild berry shaved gelato tasted really fun and mischievous, like a mix of grape-flavoured Hi-Chew, Kyoto grape, and strawberry bubble gum.
The fact that it had just the right kick of sourness lent it a really refreshing touch, without going overboard.
It’s the perfect pick-me-up in the mornings, an invigorating treat in hot afternoons, and a perfectly spunky dessert to round off the night.
Chocolate shaved gelato ($4.90, without toppings)
Despite being a really common flavour, this chocolate shaved gelato is curiously different from the norm. It comes with a touch of je ne sais quoi that is hard to place.
While tasting similar to a hazel-nutty Ferrero Rocher, it has the added depth of the dark concentrated cocoa powder gathered at the bottom of a hot chocolate drink.
Cheesecake shaved gelato ($4.90, without toppings)
This was virtually a cheesecake blended into a slushy. However, with the pronounced taste of natural yoghurt, it’s a lighter, more refreshing version of your regular cheesecake.
For an interesting and yummy combination, try the cheesecake-flavoured shaved gelato topped with forest berries sauce or strawberry sauce. We did just that, and couldn’t have been more pleased with the results!
The creaminess of the cheesecake flavour complemented the fruity tartness of the berry sauce, which was tangy and ripe with flavour.
How Eyescream’s Shaved Gelato is Made
We managed to capture how these little, tasty wide-eyed creatures are created!
First, a cylindrical block of ice maintained at an optimum temperature (for the right balance between creamy and icy), is loaded into an ice-shaving machine.
This contraption, which is flown in from Barcelona, then carves delicate layers of shaved gelato into a bowl.
Gelato shakes and lollipops
Apart from shaved gelato, Eyescream and Friends truly lives up to its philosophy of creating smiles, by offering gelato shakes ($5.90) as well as handmade lollipops ($4.90).
Among the lollipops, mango and apple are the most popular flavours. They’re all extremely fresh, as Eyescream and Friends flies them in from Barcelona regularly.
Best of all, they are all-natural, GMO-free, gluten-free, allergen-free, and vegan as well!
Ever the savvy maverick, Eyescream and Friends plans to open its new outlet in Wisma Atria this December. 3 new Christmas-themed flavours are on the horizon, so keep your eyes peeled!
Eyescream And Friends
Address: Compass One mall, 1 Sengkang Square, #B1-42
Operating hours: 10am – 10pm
Find them online:
https://www.facebook.com/eyescreamandfriendssg/
http://eyescreamandfriends.com/
This was an invited tasting session.
Also, read BAKE Cheese Tart Continues Singapore Invasion At Its Second Outlet In Westgate Mall!
